Flat UV light sources are used, inter alia, in the print industry, in order to dry UV-curable printing-inks. Dryers of such a type encompass mercury-vapour lamps. For the purpose of operating mercury-vapour lamps of such a type, expensive and bulky mains power packs are necessary, which have to provide a high igniting voltage a maintaining voltage. Mains power packs of such a type typically include large choking coils and capacitors.
Furthermore, flat UV light sources are known that are used in sunbeds, for example. They include a plurality of tubular discharge lamps extending parallel to one another. However, with such flat UV light sources the radiation intensity that are necessary for industrial purposes, in particular for the drying of UV printing-inks, cannot be generated.